I recently purchased a new scanner. Before I spent the money for the scanner I did some research on what to look for. Briefly the following is what I found:

Resolution: The first number is the most meaningful such as 1200 X 2400. The first number is the number of lines the scanner can see vertically, which is the highest resolution the scanner can achieve. Higher is better.

Connection: Get USB II or Firewire (IEEE 1394.) In either case your computer must be equipped for it.

Dynamic Range: Or D Range, a scale of brightness from pure white to black. It is measured by a number from 0 to 4. The larger number indicates a wider range. For best results consider a D Range of 3.4 or higher.

Scan by batch: If considering a dedicated film scanner check models that allow you to load at least 4 or 6 negatives as a time.

Scanning speed: Quoted scanning speeds are always optimistic. Expect longer times. Use this spec for comparison only.

Color clarity: I found no way to judge a scanners ability to produce true colors except reading reports from people who have methods for testing. These can be found in computer magazines and on the Internet at web sites such as C|Net or Ziff Davis' web sites

You can pay nearly any price you want but you only get what you pay for. I purchased an Epsom 2450 PHOTO. I paid $400 for it at Staples after they 110 percent price- matched another store's sale price. I have seen scanners for as little as $20. CER